Death
by tina92429
Summary: Humans live and die. Vampires are immortal... or so they seem. Bella carries around a dark secret, a deadly talent, and a bottomless pit of suffering. Will she ever escape her past or will she find a way out of her suffering... permanently?
1. Prologue

**Summary**: Fifty years after the Cullens leave, Bella is a vampire with a deadly talent. When their paths cross, will they discover her secret? Will Edward be able to save her and regain her love, or will she find a way out of her suffering... permanently?

**Death**

**Prologue**

I was laying on the roof, looking up at the moon, its soft light illuminating the night sky. This was my favorite time of night. When everyone is asleep in their beds, blissfully unaware of the creature in their midst who would never sleep again.

My gaze swept across the forest, a tiny twinkle of light catching my eye but when I turned my head towards it, it was gone. I shook my head, thinking my mind was playing tricks.

As I looked out over the small, sleepy town, I noticed that not much has changed. As much as the town hadn't changed, my life, well existence really, has changed dramatically since I was here last.

My life has changed twice. Once when a certain vampire entered my life and again when he left me and I died. I felt the darkness well up again as I thought about him but I pushed it away easily, settling back into my calm state. Fifty years away and I come back as a different person. Darkness rules my existence. I have mastered it for now but I have no idea when it will take control again.

I heard a howl in the distance. A tiny ghost of a smile adorned my features briefly. The wolves must have crossed my scent. The howl sounded again, filled with loneliness and longing. I made a mental note to visit next time I had the chance.

I stood up and brushed myself off, preparing to go back inside. Don't worry, Jake. I won't be leaving anytime soon. I swung through the window I had left open and landed gracefully on the floor of my old room in a crouch.

Two words came to mind as I straightened up.

I'm home.

After all, how was I supposed to know that my existence was about to change…again?

A/N: So do you like it? Should I keep writing? Review please!


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**Bella POV**

As I crossed the floor of my old room, I heard Charlie start coughing. My lungs constricted as if I was the one coughing violently. My chest tightened as I resisted the urge to comfort him. He shouldn't be exposed to the creature his daughter has become. It was when I smelled his blood that I couldn't stop myself.

I rushed to his room at vampire speed and helped him clean up the blood he coughed into his hands. I rubbed his back as his coughing fit subsided. My muscles tensed and I looked away as he noticed my presence.

"Bella?" he whispered.

I stood up and walked across the room, still keeping my back towards him. My mind ran through the lies I could tell him to make him believe he was hallucinating. I was disgusted with myself. Lying to my own father who loved me more than I could imagine, the father who was dying no more than a few feet from where I stand! I couldn't do that to him, not after everything he's been through. I shoved those thoughts aside, and when I spoke, my voice was low and quivering.

"I'm so sorry, Dad. I couldn't tell you and I had to stay away or else you'd know. I'm not the person I used to be."

His bed creaked and Charlie groaned, trying to get up. I rushed back to his side and gently eased him into a more comfortable position. His hand came up and cupped my cheek. Slowly, my eyes met his and I leaned into the warmth and comfort of his hand.

"You'll always be my little girl, Bella, no matter what." My lips twitched into a small smile. "You look like you should be in high school. And your eyes…What happened to you?"

I stared at him helplessly, not wanting to lie but also not wanting to tell him about the monster that I am. Seeing the conflict in my eyes, Charlie pulled me into his embrace.

"It's okay, Bella. You're here. That's all that really matters." I closed my eyes, trying to preserve the moment in my mind forever. Charlie let me go and looked me over. "It's been so long, I thought I'd never see you again."

Guilt pricked my heart. "I'm sorry, Dad. I should have come back earlier but I had a few things to take care of." Like a revenge-driven vampire who's out for my head. I held back a growl. It took me forever to shake that miserable excuse for a vampire off my trail. "I know that's no excuse but-" Charlie cut me off.

"You're so cold. Why aren't you wearing a jacket on a night like this?"

"I'm fine, Dad. I don't really feel the cold at all." Charlie's eyes locked on mine and I ripped my gaze away from his, too guilty to look at him.

Thankfully, he dropped the subject and asked for a glass of water. I walked to the door at human speed but ran vampire speed as soon as I was out of Charlie's sight. Less than ten seconds later, I was opening the door slowly into Charlie's room.

The night went on. Charlie stayed awake for a few more hours, asking me about my life. I told him as much as I could about the colleges that I went to, as well as some of the high schools, and about the many cities and countries I've been to. Eventually, Charlie settled down to sleep but not before making me promise that I wouldn't leave again. I choked back the sobs, knowing that his heartbeats were already growing weaker.

I leaned over and placed a light kiss on his forehead. "I love you, Dad," I whispered softly.

"I love you, too, Bells." He whispered so quietly that I wouldn't have heard him if it weren't for my enhanced hearing.

I stayed by his side until he was snoring comfortably. Slowly I got up and exited the room with hardly a sound. Lost in thought, I walked over to my old room. Charlie didn't move a thing since I left. I haven't been in this room since I left Forks.

_**Fifty years ago...**_

_I was scared, running through the forest at a speed I've never reached before. I was a vampire. The thought sent a cold dread through my body, settling deep inside my bones. I ran blindly through the forest, crashing through the low branches in my path._

_I was heading towards the one place I should not be right now: Forks._

_I was only hours old. I knew I had to stay away from humans but I also knew Charlie was at work right now. He wouldn't be at home. He would be safe, away from me._

_Reaching the house, I climbed through my bedroom window, just like Ed-_

_I forced myself to push the darkness away and hold my breath. I focused on the task at hand, running around the room, collecting my passport, a few outfits, and my stash of money. I froze at a sudden creak in the floor. As I looked down, I saw that one board was just slightly above the others. If it weren't for vampire vision, I might not have seen it. I bent down to examine it, carefully pulling the board out._

_Underneath was a small space with a CD and a few papers. I was perfectly still when I noticed Edward's smiling face looking at me from one of the pictures I thought I'd lost forever. Still numb, I saw that everything he took from me was here… everything except my heart._

_Somehow I ended up on my bed, staring blankly at the pictures. My mind and body were frozen. I wasn't sure how long I sat like that, not aware of anything except that picture._

_Minutes and hours passed by as seconds and suddenly the door opened wide. A strangled gasp startled me out of my trance and I forced my head to move only to freeze again at Charlie's surprised face. I slowly lifted my eyes to his, still unsure of how I would handle this whole goodbye situation._

_I smiled timidly and whispered "Hi."_

_Charlie rushed over and hugged me tightly. Surprised, I held my breath and tentatively lifted my arms to place then very carefully on his back, wary of my newfound strength. His warm embrace was comforting and in complete contrast to the cold temperature of my own body. I relaxed slowly as he hugged me closer to his body as if he never wanted to let me go again. Eventually Charlie pulled back to look at me._

"_Where were you? I've been looking everywhere for you. You're freezing. Here, take this." He shrugged off his jacket. I looked at him sadly, the guilt already piling up in my cold, unbeating heart._

"_I'm fine, really. But I need to go." My brain searched for an excuse. "I want to go to Jacksonville. Live with Renee." I was hurting him, I knew that, but it couldn't be helped. He can't be around me right now, no one can._

_Reaching the end of my air supply, I braced myself and took in a tiny puff of air. Charlie's scent scorched my throat but strangely, I felt no urge to go after his blood. As I slowly took in a whole breath, filling my lungs, the fire burned fiercely in my throat. I welcomed the pain, imagining the pain I was causing Charlie._

_His face fell; he looked heartbroken. "You want to leave? Did I do something?"_

"_No, Dad, it's not that. You didn't do anything. I just-" I couldn't bring myself to lie to him again. "I can't be here right now. I just need some time to clear my head." Charlie looked bewildered but then his face changed. Judging from the angry look on his face, he connected my willingness to leave with _him._ His eyes showed the battle waging in his mind. He stared deep into my eyes, searching for the answer to his unasked question. I looked back at him, silently pleading with him to let me go._

_Once Charlie's anger receded, the frown lines morphed into worry lines. He took a deep breath and seemed to gather himself together. His lip quivered and his voice shook as he spoke._

"_If that's what you really want, Bella, what you really need." Translation: If that's what you need to get over that guy, then I'll let you go. "I'm going to miss you, Bella. Come home as much as you can. You're welcome anytime." He looked uncomfortable saying goodbye; expressing his feelings was never Charlie's strong point._

_I stepped forward tentatively and he pulled me into another viselike hug. My head rested on his chest, my eyes shedding invisible tears. "I love you, Daddy. Always know that."_

_He gently kissed my forehead. "I love you too, Bells."_

_**Present**_ **_Day..._******

A noise at the window broke my trance. I was at the window in a flash, looking warily out into the dark night. When I ascertained that no one was outside the window – much to the dismay of the tiny part of me living in the past that wished there was – I retired back into Charlie's room and resumed my former position. I sat by Charlie's side, my hand in his as I watched over him silently. Hours later, my hand was squeezed lightly. My eyes snapped into focus, my gaze settling on Charlie's sleeping – and snoring – form lying peacefully on his bed.

I stayed by my father's side all night. I was with him when his heartbeats grew slower and the sun's rays were just beginning to streak across the sky. I was with him as his heart grew fainter and weaker until his soft heartbeats came to an abrupt stop. The silence was deafening. I kept hold of his hand, waiting for him to squeeze it again – for him to wake up from his eternal slumber.

The sound of a car turning into the driveway forced me from his bedside. I placed one last kiss on his cooling forehead and raced down the stairs, the back door closing just as the front door opened. I hid in the trees facing Charlie's bedroom window.

A minute later, the door opened to reveal a face I haven't seen in fifty years.

"Jacob."

**Jacob POV (the night in the prologue)**

My paws hit the dirt softly and silently in a steady rhythm. I felt the power coursing through my muscles as they propelled me forward. The trees passed by me in a flurry of colors yet I could see plainly a butterfly perched on a leaf a few yards ahead. I could smell the forest as I ran through it at speeds I haven't used in a long while. The sounds of the forest's inhabitants assaulted my sensitive ears, picking up the sounds of a scampering rabbit a mile away. I felt my mouth watering just thinking of chasing after it, my muscles tingling in anticipation.

_Jake, we're supposed to be looking for vampires, not little bunny rabbits,_ Leah reminded me.

I sighed. _I know, I know. I haven't been a wolf in a while. So sue me if I want to enjoy it a little._ I could picture Leah rolling her eyes at my response.

_You're getting soft, old-timer._

_Hey! You're older than I am._

_Yeah, but you're the one who only looks half your age. I look like a quarter of mine. Heck! I bet I could pass for half _your_ age!_

Our banter was cut short as I slid to a sudden stop. I picked up the scent again, just to be sure. I breathed in deeply and there was no doubt in my mind. Vampire. Leah growled behind me, about to chase after it.

_No, wait. You've smelled this before, remember? Bella's back._ The thought came with a barrage of memories. Bella stumbling and blushing. Her smile, her laugh, ...her change.

_Ugh! Not this again!_ Leah snorted, pulling me out of my reverie. _Get your ass out of memory lane and tell the others not to attack the bloo- her._

_All right, all right. I'm on it._

I threw my head back and let out a howl, sending a message to both the others and Bella.

The others phased quickly. Since the Cullens came back, Sam, Paul, Jared, and Embry started phasing. When the Cullens left, Quil, Leah, Seth, Collin, Brady, and I started phasing. Over the past fifty years, the others stopped phasing for their imprints. Only four wolves left: me, Embry, Leah, and Seth. Still more than enough to protect our tribe.

_Yo, what's up?_ Seth thought in his perpetually cheerful manner.

_You better have a good reason for waking me up in the dead of night, Jake._ Embry thought, still half-dreaming of his warm, cozy bed.

_Just giving you guys a heads up. A vampire is in town._ That got their attention. _It's Bella. She's back._

_She came back? I didn't think she would after the way she left us._ Embry commented.

_Aw man! I thought we could finally go hunt down a vampire. I'm itching for a good chase._

_Well you're welcome to ask Bella if you want to fight but I don't recommend it. _I suggested jokingly.

_Yeah, yeah, I remember what happened last time. Or rather you and Embry remember it and I saw it in your heads._

_Yeah, what is with her freakish "power" or whatever?_ Leah ran through the memory again. _It was weird._

_She'll tell us more about it when she's ready. Until then, just don't attack her. She's still our friend._

_Yeah, all right. I'm going back to sleep._

_We know, Jake. Can we continue running the border now?_

_Aw, does that mean I can't challenge her?_

_Just drop it, Seth. You couldn't take her, little brother._

_Shut up, Leah!_ Seth phased, forcing Leah and I to go back to patrolling the border.

We ran for a few minutes before Leah broke the silence.

_You know, if she sticks around long enough, your kid would be a wolf._

_Leah,_ I growled warningly.

_I'm just saying._

_Yeah, well, she can't stick around _that_ long anyway. The humans would notice something._

_You don't want your kid to be a wolf?_

_It's not like that. Besides, he's not even born yet._ Leah was silent but even silence can speak volumes. I rounded on her. _Do _you_ want my kid to be a wolf? You know that means he would be the rightful alpha._

_Hey! You said you were passing the reins over to me when your kid was born. You're retiring your wolf status, remember?_

_Hey, I'm just saying._ I repeated her words back to her, a smug look to my face. Leah grumbled quietly.

We didn't 'talk' the rest of the night. There was no sign of any other vampire either. When dawn came, Embry and Seth took over patrol. I ran back to my house, falling asleep on my bed instantly.

"Jake, wake up." Someone shook me gently. "Jacob, honey, you need to take Billy over to Charlie's, remember?" I rolled over and mumbled something incoherent.

"JACOB!"

"Huh? What?" I jerked upright, nearly jumping out of the bed. I shook my head free of the last remnants of sleep. Maggie, my wife and imprint, stood by the edge of the bed. Her chestnut brown hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail, a single curl escaping to frame her oval face. With her eyes twinkling, she smiled as a giggle betrayed her mirth. The sun streamed in through the window behind her, making her look like an angel in her long white maternity dress.

"Morning," she sang brightly.

I pulled her down into my lap and kissed her softly. "Good morning, beautiful."

She slapped me playfully and stood up. "Get up, sleepyhead. You promised Billy you'd take him over to check on Charlie this morning. You're late," she said, striding out of the room.

Billy… Charlie… Bella! I sprang out of bed, dressing and brushing my teeth in record time. I deemed myself presentable and went down the stairs two at a time. Finding Maggie cooking in the kitchen, I pecked her on the cheek before grabbing a piece of toast and heading towards the door.

"I'll be back later!" I called.

"Hey! Who's going to eat all this food?"

"You're eating for two. I'm sure you can find a place for it."

"Are you calling me fat?" She chucked a piece of toast at me.

"Not at all, dear." I caught the bread and held it up with a broad smile. "Thanks, honey." She chuckled, shaking her head. I closed the door behind me.

It was a short drive over to my father's house. As I pulled up to the old barn of a house, I saw my father waiting outside for me.

"You're late, son. I was beginning to worry."

I laughed it off as I helped him into the car. "Aw, you don't need to worry about me. I can take care of myself. I can still grow a pair of claws, you know." He chuckled with me. I sat back down in the driver's seat once Billy was comfortably settled. "Let's get you over to Charlie's." And Bella will be there, too.

Keeping the window open as I drove, I took in deep lungfuls of air, searching for another telltale whiff of Bella's scent. I didn't smell her but I didn't worry about that. She wouldn't have taken the streets; someone might recognize her.

When I got to Charlie's, I helped my father out again. Something bugged me as I pushed him up to the door. It didn't hit me until the door closed behind me and my father called out, "Charlie! We're here!"

I didn't hear Charlie's heartbeat. Immediately, I caught Bella's scent lingering in the house.

"Jake, why don't you go check on Charlie while I go to the kitchen and fix him something to eat?"

I was already headed to the stairs. "Sure, Dad." I practically jumped up to the second floor and turned into Charlie's room. My eyes zeroed in on Charlie's still and silent form on the bed. My shoulders slumped.

"Jacob." My ears barely caught the whisper but I know it was her. Bella.

My eyes flashed to the window only to see the faint rustling of the tree branch a few yards away. I threw open the window but she was gone before I could call out to her. The wind carried her last whisper to my ears.

"I'm sorry, Jacob."

I stared out for a long minute before I closed the window. I looked back at Charlie and felt a wave of grief. She must have been with him the whole night. At least they were reunited once again, for however brief a time. I couldn't imagine what Bella was feeling right now.

"Bella, don't you worry about a thing. I'll take care of everything."

**Bella POV**

I didn't set foot back in Forks until the week after Charlie's death. Billy and Jacob set up Charlie's funeral while I was in the forest, coping the best I could. I basically sat and stared into nothing, blaming myself for every little thing that went wrong.

Dressed in all black, I sat on a wooden bench near the back row, my face covered with a black veil. People were paying their respects to Charlie at the front of the room. A tall man who looked to be in his thirties turned around and walked towards me. He wore all black and his dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail. The circles underneath his eyes told me he didn't get much sleep lately. He sat down next to me.

"How are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm fine. For now."

"I haven't seen you for a while."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I just thought that maybe you'd come around. Drop by. Say hello."

"I'm sorry," I said again. Led by guilt, I tried to make conversation. I nodded towards his wife on the other side of the room, her hands carefully cradling her bulging stomach. "Congratulations on the baby."

"Thanks. Only six weeks left. It's going to be a boy."

I nodded in response, my capacity for small talk apparently limited to a single comment.

Silence ensued for a while. More people shuffled down the aisle, paying no attention to us. I spotted Renee in the front, her husband comforting her.

"You came," he said simply.

"I almost didn't," I whispered quietly.

"Why not?"

"I don't deserve to be here."

"Bella, of course you do. He's your father."

I laughed bitterly. "Right. Some daughter I am. Leave fifty years ago, disappear into thin air with only the barest mode of communication between us, and never come back into his life until the day he dies."

"Bella, it's not your fault."

"Don't, Jake."

"Bella, listen to me. It's _not_ your fault. You didn't mean for this to happen. You-"

"It doesn't matter if I meant for it to happen or not. It _happened_. And it's all because of me."

"Bella," he started.

"Do you see Renee up in the front row?"

"Yeah, what about her?"

"She probably thinks I'm a horrible daughter."

"You're not."

"I can't even shed a tear for my own father, Jake."

He sighed heavily. "I keep telling you, Bella, _it's not your fault_. When are you going to accept that?"

"I disappeared from their lives. Just dropped off the map. Never to be seen again."

"Why don't you go talk to her now? Don't you have a back story in case someone recognizes you?"

I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath. I turned to Jacob and held my hand out. "Bella Wolfe. My grandmother was Isabella Marie Swan. Charlie Swan is my great-grandfather. I am an emancipated minor living on my own. I tracked down my grandmother's family and found out about Charlie. I wanted to get to know my long lost family."

Jacob gave me a small smile and shook my hand. "Nice to meet you, Bella. You know, you're the spitting image of your grandmother. What happened to your family?"

"Car accident. Tragedy, really. It happened on our way home from my grandmother's funeral last year. I was the sole survivor. It was a miracle," I said sarcastically. "I applied for emancipation instead of going into foster care."

Jacob nodded. "Sorry to hear that. Why don't you go introduce yourself to your family? Renee would love to see you again."

I turned away, my eyes downcast. "I can't, Jake. It would hurt her too much to lose her daughter on the same day she buries her ex-husband."

"But she would gain a long lost great-granddaughter."

I shook my head. "I'd only bring back painful memories. She's been through enough. I'm sure she's let go by now. She doesn't need any reminders of the past."

"I still think she'd like to see you again, even if she thinks it's your granddaughter. I bet she's missed you."

"I can't do that to her, Jake. I can't hurt her again."

"It's been fifty years, Bella. You said she's let go. What about you? Can you let go of the past?"

"Jake, the last time I was here, the last time I saw you," I turned to look him in the eye, "I left you for dead."

A/N: Review please!


	3. Chapter 2

_Last chapter: _"It's been fifty years, Bella. You said she's let go. What about you? Can you let go of the past?"

"Jake, the last time I was here, the last time I saw you," I turned to look him in the eye, "I left you for dead."

**Chapter 2**

_**Fifty years ago…**_

_When Laurent appeared in the meadow, I was surprised. When the wolves showed up, I went into shock. By the time Victoria came, I was so far gone I didn't even feel anymore._

"_Well, well, look who we have here." I looked up at her high voice. She stood a few yards away, slowly starting to circle me as my eyes followed her. "The little human all by herself in the woods. Didn't anyone ever tell you not to wander through the forest? It's not safe. You never know what or who you might meet." The words, so eerily similar to Ed-his warning, brought the pain back to my numb state._

"_What do you want, Victoria?" I said, my voice surprisingly calm considering only sweet pain breached the numbness that shrouded my heart._

_She peered at me curiously. My blank, almost bored, stare must have unnerved her since she stopped her circling and looked at me strangely._

"_You are not afraid." It wasn't a question, nor did she ask me why. She looked me over. "Do you have no sense of self-preservation, puny human?"_

_They were _his_ words again, but this time the pain wasn't as shocking or disarming. No change or indication appeared on my face to betray the pain I felt. I made no answer to her comment and she didn't wait for one._

"_My sense is heightened, more acute than yours. Of course, it is partially instinct but I always know when to escape." Her blackened ruby eyes roved over me again. "Not that you would know anything about that seeing as how you haven't even tried to run away."_

"_I'm not going to run," I finally said._

_She laughed. "Stupid girl, don't you know what's going to happen to you?"_

"_Oh, I know. You're going to kill me." She nodded. I regarded her coolly and shrugged. "Certainly saves me the trouble." She quirked an eyebrow and I elaborated. "It's going to happen sooner or later. Everyone dies eventually. No one can escape death. Not even vampires." I smiled condescendingly at her. "Immortality doesn't last forever. You should know that."_

_She let out a growl that reverberated around the meadow. "Of course, I know that. Thanks to you, I know that personally." She spat her words out bitterly and lunged at me, her teeth bared._

_I felt her razor-sharp teeth pierce my shin before my entire world was consumed by fire and pain._

_**Three days later…**_

_When I opened my eyes again, a face emerged in my line of sight. I marveled in its clarity; I could see every line of the russet-colored skin and every strand of jet-black hair._

_My lungs started to fill in preparation to speak but I stopped when the most disgusting scent abruptly overwhelmed my senses. My hands flew to cover my nose as I bolted upright, almost bashing in Jake's nose in._

"_What is that smell?" I explained._

_Jake chuckled. "Well you don't exactly smell so nice either."_

_I made a face as I forced myself to inhale the malodorous scent. As my gaze swept across the clearing I was in, I noticed that it was a different from the meadow, most notably, the meadow didn't have five huge shirtless guys, including Jacob. And unless my eyes deceived me, which is highly unlikely, three of the five guys were tensed. Only Jacob and the man in front of the other four, whom I recognized as Sam Uley, were calm. All five, however, had their eyes trained on my still form._

"_Jake, what's going on?"_

_He shifted uncomfortable from one foot to the other and back again. "Well, what do you remember?" he asked cautiously._

_I thought back over the past few days but the memories were murky, muddled, and unclear as if I was looking at them through a film. All the memories except the burning pain that corrupted my memories of the past few days. Concentrating, I saw brief flashes of sharp teeth, dreadlocks, red hair, and a large animal._

"_Laurent," I paused, a few things clicking into place, "and Victoria."_

_Jacob cocked his head to one side. "You mean that bloodsucker with the black hair and that redhead?"_

"_Yeah," I said slowly, the majority of my mind taking in my pearly white hands. "Victoria was going to kill me." My head snapped up. "She _did_ kill me." I only took a fraction of a second to put all the pieces together. "I'm a vampire," I whispered softly in disbelief. The realization brought my attention to the fiery pain in my throat; my hand flew up in an attempt to soothe the pain._

"_Bella, maybe you should come with me." Jacob gestured to an opening in the trees at the very edge of the clearing a few yards away, watching the hand at my throat with trepidation._

_I noticed the other boys watching me too as I took a small, tentative step forward. I followed for a few more yards before the wind shifted and I smelled a faint trace of something that set my parched throat ablaze. A red haze descended over my vision, all my senses suddenly focused on the scent of blood and tracking it._

_I growled quietly and sprinted past Jake, ignoring the sound of ripping clothing behind me or the thud that sounded in the spot I vacated an eightieth of a second ago. An instinct told me there was danger behind me but my mind screamed at me to go after the blood since it was only Jacob and some guys there, nothing to worry about._

_My mind won the battle as I raced toward the appetizing and appealing scent with a single purpose. I reached the clearing a few miles away – a fifteen-second sprint to me – and my mouth went directly to the throat of the nearest animal on the ground._

_The sweet, thick blood poured down my throat with every swallow, dousing the flames; I drained a bear, a mountain lion, and two deer before I was satiated. I sighed with pleasure as the flames were extinguished. Only a faint flame even hinted at its return in the near future._

_I finally stood up and took in my surroundings thoroughly. I noticed Jacob and the other guys standing back by the edge of the trees, partially hidden in the shadows, watching me with stoic faces._

_I looked back at them warily, trying to remember if I noticed the underlying hatred in their eyes before._

_Jacob took a tentative step forward in front of the others, his hands held up in front of him as if to show me that he meant no harm._

"_Bella, now I know you might be confused," he started._

_My mind, seemingly recovered from the rapture of the blood, finally managed coherent thoughts and put some pieces together._

"_How did you know?" I asked, looking at him accusingly. He looked confused. "How did you know about this?" I gestured around at the animal carcasses littering the ground which a couple boys were taking out further into the woods. "Why did you set it all up and bring me here?"_

"_Well, ...Bella, ...you see..." He was at a loss for words. Taking a deep breath, he started again. "Do you remember that day on the beach when I told you our legends?"_

_My mind raced into action, trying to drudge up those half-forgotten human memories. The murky images came to the front of my mind._

"_Kind of," I admitted. "It's not very clear."_

"_You remember me telling you about the 'cold ones', right?" I nodded. "Do you remember the story before that?"_

_I paused, not really remembering his words._

_A blurry scene of me and Jacob walking along the beach flashed before my eyes, only to disappear a second later. I thought harder, my forehead creasing, straining to hear something in the muddled memories._

"_Just relax, Bella. Let it come to you. I know you still remember," Jacob said encouragingly._

_I tried to follow his advice. Taking in a deep breath, I forced my tense muscles to relax. I cleared my mind and waited. Slowly, the image came to mind. My patience wavered but another deep breath kept it at bay. My efforts were rewarded with a few snatches of conversation. One word stood out from the rest, escaping my lips on the barest of whispers as my eyes flashed open._

"_Wolves."_

_Jacob nodded gravely. He glanced back at Sam's placid expression for a second as if asking for permission._

"_We're werewolves, Bella."_

"_Werewolves?"_

"_Bella, listen, I know it must be a shock to deal with right now but come with us. We'll explain more later. Right now, let us help you."_

_After the initial shock wore off, an errant thought wormed its way into my mind._

"_The Cullens."_

_Jacob's face tightened and his arms started shaking. "What?" he half-growled._

"_Calm down, Jake," Sam whispered._

_I continued cautiously, wary of Jake's baleful glare. "The Cullens are the only ones who can really help me."_

"_No! I won't let you!" he yelled._

_His anger only fueled mine, flaring up out of nowhere. "_Let_ me? Since when do I need your permission to do anything?"_

"_Since I saved your life!"_

"_What if I didn't want to be saved?"_

_He froze, staring at me in surprise. The anger receded and I looked away, ashamed, my arms going around the hole in my chest._

"_Bella?" he whispered._

_I sighed and turn to him. "Look at me, Jake," I started quietly. I met his eyes in defiance. "Really look at me. I'm not exactly alive, am I?" I said bitterly._

"_She was going to kill you, Bella. What did you want me to do? Let you die?"_

"_It wouldn't be the first time death entered my mind." I admitted, barely audible even to my highly sensitive ears._

"_What?" I went numb, trying to keep my emotions in check. I was determined not to cry in front of him. I studied him carefully before responding._

"_There was a vampire who hunted me down last year, not the Cullens but another one who showed up. Do you remember when I was in the hospital in Phoenix?" I took his angry growl as a yes. "The Cullens were protecting me but I snuck past them and ran right to the vampire hunting me down." I looked at Jake helplessly. "He said he had my mother and that he would kill her if I didn't come alone. I was ready to die for my mother, ready to die so that he might leave the Cullens alone if he got me instead." I paused, looking down at the ground. "I didn't want anyone to die for my sake. I'm not worth it."_

"_Bella, don't say that."_

"_It's true. He left me because he didn't love me anymore, because I'm just a plain human being not worth the time." My mood grew darker. My thoughts dimmed and words came tumbling out in an emotionless voice that didn't sound anything like my own. "Ever since he left, I've been walking around like the living dead. Life just wasn't worth living anymore."_

"_Don't say that," Jake growled._

"_Why not? I've had so many brushes with death it's a miracle I survived this long. I've walked on the fine line between life and death for years." I laughed bitterly. "Did you know that when Victoria attacked me, a part of me accepted it? For a split second, I wanted to die."_

"_No, Bella! You can't say that!" Jacob yelled, shaking violently. "It's all his fault! That stupid bloodsucker! I'm going to kill him. I'm going to _kill_ that idiot son of a–"_

"_Jake." I interrupted his tirade; his temper was getting out of control. Instead of calming down, he turned on me._

"_You're still defending him? Look what he's done to you! He abandoned you! He left you here to die."_

_I looked down at the ground. Pain laced my cold, unbeating heart, encasing it in a shroud of darkness. Loneliness, misery, heartache, sadness, hopelessness, every depressing feeling anyone could ever feel combined into the shadows slowly spreading throughout my body. The darkness was so thick I could feel it growing, pleading for more pain._

_Oblivious, Jake kept yelling, piercing my heart with every word, feeding the dark void in my chest. "He put you in danger every day."_

_Spreading quickly, the darkness grew stronger, almost as if taking on a life of its own._

"_He used you."_

_The darkness soon encompassed my entire body and yet it was still growing, the pressure weighing heavily on my mind. It strained to be set free._

"_He chewed you up and then spit you right back out again."_

_The pressure mounted. It felt like my entire body was being squeezed into a tiny ball. I couldn't take it anymore._

_I gripped my head and let out a painful scream and like an imaginary bubble popped, the darkness inside me came rushing out, escaping me in tidal waves._

_My eyes were closed. I was panting for breath I didn't really need. Reveling in the absence of pain and pressure, I failed to notice the utter silence surrounding me. I froze, straining my ears for the slightest sound, a bird chirping, a leaf rustling, a breath, a heartbeat, but I heard nothing._

_Terrified of what I would find, I slowly opened my eyes. Lying on the ground in the center of the meadow lay Jacob and two other boys. Apparently they were trying to restrain him as he advanced in my direction. I could see the other two boys by the trees where they stood before. They were all perfectly still; no breath filled their lungs and no heart beat in their chests._

_I panicked. It was only a few seconds ago that I lost control of the darkness. Even now, I could still feel what remnants remained deep inside me. It started growing again, feeding on my fear. I shut down my emotions as best as I could, trying to figure a way out._

_No one is safe around me, I realized. I needed to get far away from people, but I needed a few things from my room. I looked up at the sky; the sun was hiding behind the clouds but it was definitely around noon, judging from its position. Charlie would be at work._

_With that thought, I raced into the forest, away from Jake's still form. Guilt and overwhelming fear gnawed on my bones, feeding the darkness again, but I kept it at bay with what little strength I could scrounge up. I couldn't afford to lose control again._

**Present time…**

He tried to take my hand in his but I pulled away.

"I killed you."

"No, you didn't, Bella. I'm right here." He pulled me into a hug. I didn't resist, limp in his arms, wallowing in my guilt. "I'm always here for you, Bella. I'm always here."

When I pulled away, Jake looked at me with so much concern I felt even guiltier for nearly killing him. Coming back to Forks was a split second decision. One that I made directly after reading Charlie's last email. But now that I'm back, old memories keep resurfacing, flooding my mind with images of the past.

I stood up. "I'm going to pay my respects to Charlie." Jake nodded and moved so I could pass him.

There were only a few people paying their respects to Charlie now. I slowly walked towards the front of the room, acutely aware of Renee's sobs. It had only been a few years since I'd seen my mother, but she looked like she'd aged another decade since the last time I checked up on her. She had found her own happiness, her own family. I wasn't jealous or sad, just relieved she had moved on. Over time, I checked up on her less and less, knowing she was happy and safe, but I couldn't even begin to fathom why I didn't check up on Charlie more often. He was the one who needed me the most.

I reached the place where Charlie's body lay. He still looked like he was sleeping, the tiny hint of a smile on his face.

"I'm sorry, Dad. I should have a better daughter to you and Renee. I'm sorry I wasn't around when you needed me." I couldn't understand what cruel fate wouldn't let me cry for my father's death. I bent down and placed a feather-light kiss on his forehead and whispered my last words to him before I left fifty years ago. "I love you, Daddy. Always know that."

The numbness was wearing thin and I could feel the pressure of the darkness rising. I crushed the wave of darkness through sheer force of will. Turning away, I headed out the door. I noticed Jacob next to his wife, Maggie. They were standing next to Seth, talking. I was about to walk off to my car when Jacob broke away from their little group and headed towards me. Seth and Maggie went in the other direction.

"What are you doing, Jake?" I asked as he came closer.

He grinned at me. "We're going to La Push. You need to get away from all the doom and gloom." I opened my mouth to speak but he cut me off before the words began. "I know, I know, your father… passed away but you know he would want you be happy. It's all he ever wanted for you." I met his eyes and saw his determination. He sensed a victory and broke into a wider grin. "Now get out of the goth look and meet me at the border line in fifteen minutes."

I smiled weakly back at him and nodded. With a wave he went off and I continued to my car. As I took one last glance back to where my father lay, I saw a flicker of color out of the corner of my eye. A bronze color that I hadn't seen in years except in my memories. The weight in my heart grew heavier as the memories drudged up from the depths of my mind. I searched the crowd of people gathering outside but I didn't see it again. I shook my head and turned back to my car. Maybe Jake was right, I've been living in the past, living in my memories, so much that now I'm seeing things. I drove towards my old house, snuck into my old room, and changed into an old T-shirt and jeans.

I looked around the old house, seeing Charlie everywhere. In the living room watching a game, following his nose to the kitchen when I was cooking something, sitting at the table eating and exclaiming how good my cooking was… I wrapped my arms around myself, wishing I could just shed one tear at least. I missed him so much.

I was planning on visiting him, too, in a few months. I'd always kept myself up-to-date on the well-being of my parents, checking up on them every few years. I remembered my last visit with Renee last year. Good thing I did, too, since she fainted when she was in the house alone. I was watching her from the roof of the house behind hers and I rushed in, calling an ambulance from her phone. Luckily, she was fine; she was trying to clean up the house when she fainted and she just needed some rest. I smiled ruefully, to this day they still don't know who made that 911 call.

Later on, I donned a blond wig and got to the hospital. Telling the nurses I was her granddaughter and Renee herself that I was a volunteer who spent time with the patients, I was able to spend a few precious hours talking to my mother. I was also introduced to my half-sister. She was all grown up with her own kids, my niece and nephew, who were about my age, physically that is. I remembered that day and wondered why I couldn't do the same for Charlie. Renee had people to take care of her, to help her; Charlie had no one, no one but me, and I failed him.

Hating myself, I decided to drive to the border, lest I run into a tree whilst drowning in my memories. As I was taking out my keys, I felt the prickling sensation of being watched. Whirling around, I faced the edge of the forest with narrowed eyes, searching for the threat. The forest was unusually silent, my ears hearing nothing and my nose smelling nothing out of the ordinary. Farther into the forest, I heard a very faint rustling of leaves and the snap of a twig. A small smile curved my lips. Whoever it was, he was smart enough to run away. I scanned the area around me fully just in case before getting in the car.

Jacob was waiting for me as I drove up. He got into the passenger's seat, grinning widely.

"Keep going," he said, waving me forward.

I hesitated. We were right at the border line, going any further would make me a trespasser on Quileute territory and break the treaty.

"Are you sure it's okay? I'm a vampire."

Jacob sighed, the grin dropped off his face. "I'm still the alpha, Bella, at least for now. If I say you can, then you can. I can allow my best friend to visit me, can't I?"

"If you say so," I said, cautiously moving forward.

I drove down the road towards Billy's old house, Jacob's house now even though Billy still lives there. The house looked just as I remembered it, with a new paint job and a tire swing in the front I've never seen before. Memories flooded back to me like they've been doing ever since I came back to Forks.

I approached the house slowly, still living in my memories. I remembered hanging out here, watching Jacob work on his car, joking around with him, …learning how to ride motorcycles. A smile quirked my lips.

I went to the tire swing and climbed on. I closed my eyes and reveled in the serene feeling that came over me. The wind blowing gently through my hair, the sound of animals in the forest running or flying around, the smell of the trees and fresh air, the peacefulness of it all overwhelmed me and I embraced it gratefully. It had been a long time since I'd felt any peace and I didn't know when I'd feel this way again.

I didn't notice Jacob watching me speculatively the entire time until he spoke.

"You've changed, Bella."

My eyes opened and I shrugged. "It's been fifty years, Jake. What did you expect?"

"I don't know, but you seem different. Sad, maybe, like you've been living in the dark for too long and you're pretending to live in the light."

That hit too close to home. I struggled to keep the slight smile on my face. Jacob always could see right through me. I knew he was just concerned. I wish I could tell him everything but I just wasn't ready to talk about it. I pushed those thoughts away and tried to think of something happier.

"Oh stop worrying. And what's with the 'dark' and 'light' stuff? It's like you're turning into a wizened old man who speaks in riddles!" I laughed.

Jake chuckled and shook his head. "Hey! You're older than I am!"

I smiled mischievously. "Really? Last time I checked, you were thirty and I was only twenty-seven. That makes _you_ older!"

He looked confused for a second but then his features brightened and he howled with laughter. "Oh yeah! Only theoretically though. You're definitely even younger for not aging all these years, or should you be older for living so long? Ah, well, who cares! I can't believe you remembered that!" That infectious grin I always loved appeared, making me smile wider.

A sudden thought sparked in my head and I jumped off the swing, flipping through the air. I landed on the ground with a muted thud and turned my head towards him, a smirk dancing on my lips.

"Race you to the cliffs!" I yelled, racing off ahead of him.

"Hey! No fair!" he yelled behind me.

Needless to say, I beat the poor, old, _slow_ werewolf, though he kept yelling for a rematch since he claimed I cheated.

We spent the day catching up, having fun; it felt like the old Jake and Bella from fifty years ago came alive again. Nothing changed really. Jacob even surprised me with my old motorcycle! He finally took me cliff-diving, claiming that he intended to keep that promise and was sorry it took so long. I can't remember any time in the past fifty years when I laughed or smiled so much. I was sad when the sun started to set. I never wanted this day to end.

We were sitting on the edge of the cliffs, watching the sunset. We were quiet for a change, both lost in our thoughts.

I looked at him. "Thank you," I whispered, not wanting to disturb another peaceful moment.

He looked at me. "For what?"

"For today. For being my friend."

He chuckled. "I'll always be your friend, Bella. I'll always be here for you. And I'm glad I could bring the old Bella back."

I elbowed him playfully. "And what's wrong with the new Bella?"

He grinned. "She's fast enough to give me a run for my money."

"Ha! So you admit I'm faster than you!"

"I didn't say that." He huffed. "So how long are you staying? Maybe we could hang out sometime."

I looked out at the setting sun, thinking. Today had been truly wonderful. I didn't have a single thought about the darkness hiding inside me. I felt so wonderfully carefree. And I wanted to stay for a while, for Charlie's sake; he always loved it here and I wanted to honor his memory. "I don't think I'll be leaving just yet. I'm going to stay, at least for a couple years."

"Why don't you come with me and meet Maggie? She wants to finally meet you after hearing about you so much."

I leaned back on my elbows, admiring the vast array of colors painting the sky. I sighed. "Not tonight." I turned to him with a smirk. "I have school in the morning, in Seattle," I said in a tone that clearly reflected my opinion on the subject.

He apparently agreed. "School," he spat, wrinkling his nose. "Why would you willingly go through that torture again?"

I shrugged. "It passes the time. You know, it gets much easier once you remember everything you could ever learn."

"I guess but it's still got to be utterly boring. Call me if you ever feel like ditching." He grinned.

I scoffed. "You're such a bad influence, Jake."

"If I recall correctly, it was _you_ who first brought me the motorcycles."

"And if _I_ recall correctly, it was _you_ who was eager to work on them with no protest whatsoever to the danger or the fact that I paid out of my college money."

We bickered back and forth, though at some point the argument turned into who was the worst influence instead of who was the most innocent. Out bickering ended with a race back to his house, which I won of course, and saying goodbye to Jacob and Maggie, who was home and tried to get me to stay for a visit. I drove home in silence, a smile still playing on my face as the memories of the day replayed in my head. I pulled up to my small, one-bedroom apartment on the outskirts of Seattle. Walking into my bedroom, I felt a pang of loneliness but quickly pushed it away in search of things to do in the hours before school started.

In no time at all, it seemed, dawn came, the sun covered immediately by the clouds. I sighed and got ready for school in a flash, not really caring about my appearance other than blending in as much as possible. Before I knew it, I was in my car on my way to school.

The school was typical. It seemed just like any other. A cluster of red brick buildings grouped together in rows with the office in front. Students were standing around talking, none of them looking my way as I pulled into the parking lot. Although I was grateful that my car was blending in so well that they weren't staring, I knew it wouldn't last. I took advantage of the moment of peace before they noticed a new student and took a deep breath, making sure I had complete control over my emotions. One slip-up could dire consequences, but then again I did have fifty years of practice under my belt. One more calming breath and then I schooled my features into a blank mask with a slightly intimidating edge – I had developed and perfected the look to scare away any admirers or those brave enough to approach me, bored and superior at the same time – and stepped out of the car. Ignoring all the curious looks directed at me, I walked quickly towards the office.

**Unknown POV (the other day at the funeral)**

Finally after all these years, I've found her. I watched from the top of a tree just inside the forest as she left the funeral and made plans with that _dog_. Following her car to an old house, I saw her slip inside. She was back outside going to her car when she noticed my presence. She whipped around, trying to sense where I was.

I smiled. Her instincts were still sharp as ever. I hurled a good sized rock deep into the forest and heard the snap of a twig as it landed.

She took one last sweep of the scene before driving off in her car. I pursued her as she met up with the dog, my instincts screaming at me to jump out and attack. They went off further down the road to a little house. Listening in to their conversation, I barely had time to register the start of a race before they ran off to some cliffs nearby.

As they had their fun, I settled into a tree in a spot where they couldn't see me but I could hear them. I spent the day listening to their odd conversations. It seems they had gone cliff diving and rode motorcycles when she was human. I filed away that little tidbit of information for later.

I followed her again when she left, going home I presumed, but she didn't go to that old house again. Surprisingly she drove at the speed limit – she was apparently a little _too_ used to her human façade – to a little apartment just outside Seattle. I watched her enter and took note of which apartment was hers. Breaking into her mailbox, I saw a letter from a high school in Seattle. I shook my head and sighed. Figures she would go to a school full of humans, just like before. She would probably stay put for the night.

I went back to that old house in dreary Forks and took the key I saw her use before. Looking around inside, I saw plenty of pictures of her at all ages, well except for the past fifty years. A man, her father maybe, appeared in a couple of them, but not many. I spent the night looking through photo albums and I even stumbled upon a shelf of home videos.

By the time I looked up at the clock, it was nearing the time the humans usually ate lunch. I smiled wickedly. I raced off to Seattle.

Time to go meet up with my Bella.

**Bella POV (continuing from the last BPOV)**

After getting my schedule and school map from the secretary in the office, I headed towards my first class as a junior in high school. Junior year was always my favorite year to be in; I could drive, have a job, and act as an emancipated minor and no one would bat an eye.

I glanced at my schedule again, mentally groaning when I saw Trigonometry as the first class. As expected, the staring ensued as soon as I stepped into the classroom. The teacher introduced me to the class and directed me to an open seat. A ridiculously boring lecture that taught me nothing I hadn't heard before promptly followed. I ignored the whispers, stares, and the teacher until the bell rang.

My next class, Chemistry, passed by in the same fashion as Trig. Fortunately, I received a breath of fresh air, so to speak, in my third class, well not really a class.

I walked into the library and quickly spotted the librarian. She was in her late thirties, maybe early forties, her hair pulled back into a ponytail, glasses, small wrinkles around her face, all in all she gave the impression of a sweet and caring woman. She smiled kindly when she noticed my approach.

"How can I help you, dear?"

I smiled, careful not to show my teeth. "Hello, I signed up for the library aide position this period. I'm-"

"Bella Wolfe." Her eyes lit up. "I've been expecting you. I'm Ms. Daniels. You're my only sign up this year. No one ever signs up for voluntarily being cooped up in the library for an hour a day. I don't even think most of them know we _have_ a library."

I chuckled. "Well I'd spend all my time in a library if I could. I love reading."

She stepped out from behind the counter. "Well let me show you around and tell you what you'll be doing."

She showed me where the students would return the books, how I would take the books and check in the books and put them back on the shelves. I would also be helping anyone who comes to the library. And since people never put books back in their right places or the books mysteriously disappear or get damaged, I would be helping Ms. Daniels catalogue and organize all the books. If I wasn't doing any of that, I was free to do homework or pick up a book and read.

Ms. Daniels left me at the counter and went to her office in the back to fill out some paperwork. Taking advantage of the empty library, I took a stack of books and began to put them away at vampire speed, listening carefully for Ms. Daniels or anyone who came in. Light footsteps came to the front of the library and I immediately assumed a human pace to put away the last book.

"How may I help-" I rounded the corner and saw a small black-haired girl with very pale skin who turned around when she heard me. I stared, speechless, into a pair of familiar golden eyes.

She stared back at me, her eyes wide. "Bella?"

I was shaken out of my frozen state by a dark energy wave. I held back a shudder.

"Alice."

She let out the first note of a squeal before I frantically shushed her.

"We're in a library!" I warned her.

She continued her squeal on a much quieter level and threw her small arms around me.

"Bella! Bella! Bella! Bella! Bella!" she whispered excitedly.

"Alice," I started warily.

She pulled back and fired questions at me vampire speed. "What are you doing here? You go to school here now? What happened to you? You're a vampire now? When? Who? Where have you been all these years? How come I can't _see_ you?" Her eyebrows furrowed at the last part as she concentrated.

I carefully pulled myself out of her arms. "Alice, what are you doing here?"

She looked up at me and smiled innocently. "Returning a library book?" She held out a book.

I sighed, took the book, and went behind the counter. "You know what I mean."

Her happiness drained out of her in a sigh. She looked at me sympathetically. "I'm sorry about Charlie."

My breath caught, the darkness reared its ugly head greedily soaking up my sorrow. I pushed it back and pulled myself together.

"How did you hear about that?" I asked, my voice and face blank.

"I saw the last part of the funeral. We went, you know, got there as the pallbearers carried him out." Which was after I left.

I put her book aside, in the stack to be put back on the shelf. "You came back," I stated.

"Oh Bella, I'm so sorry. We shouldn't have left but I couldn't stop him. He was too stubborn! I was going to check back even though he told me not to but I was scared when I couldn't _see_ anything."

The darkness inside me grew with every word she said. It was only through a massive amount of sheer willpower that kept it at bay.

"You should come with us after school. Everyone would love to see you."

"Everyone?" I looked at her pointedly.

She knew who I was asking about. "He's at the house. He's enrolled here but he never leaves his room except when we drag him out to hunt. He's heartbroken, Bella."

I had heard enough. It took all of my self-imposed training to keep the darkness back. I grabbed another stack of books and walked off.

"You should leave," I said when she started to follow me.

"But Bella-"

"Go," I said forcefully. I focused my eyes on the books as I put them away.

A few books were gone from the stack before she left. I closed my eyes and let out a huge breath. I stood there for a moment, making sure the darkness stayed put before opening my eyes.

A white paper on the floor flashed out of the corner of my eye. I picked it up and unfolded it. Alice had left me her phone number as well as their house number. I chuckled to myself. She just doesn't give up. Same old Alice.

Thankfully, no more surprises waited for me.

Until next period, that is.

I walked into my English Literature class and sat down in the back, grateful that my teacher didn't bother with an introduction this time. Just before the bell rang, a tall, beautiful blonde walked through the door. I froze in my seat, trying not to be noticed.

My eyes followed her path to her seat a few rows in front of me. Unfortunately, her nose caught my scent and she glanced around the room. I let my hair cover my face and sat perfectly still breathing very slowly. Through my curtain of hair, I saw her glance back over her shoulder once and settle into her seat. I held back from sighing in relief.

I covered my face in my hands. First Alice, then Rosalie. The world was _trying_ to mess with me.

As I tried to figure out what to do, the teacher started the class. The class was in the middle of a book and they were also doing some sort of project with it too. My name grabbed my attention, and – to my dismay – Rosalie's too.

"Now Bella, where are you," she looked around the room till she spotted me, "I know you might have some trouble-"

Rosalie's hand shot up when she saw me. "Ms. Lewis, I would be happy to help Bella catch up to the rest of the class. I could be her partner," she said with a sugary sweet smile.

I mentally groaned, keeping a smile on my face.

Ms. Lewis smiled. "Of course, Rosalie, what a splendid idea. So wonderful of you to volunteer." She addressed the class again. "Now you have the rest of the period to work on your projects. Remember, this is not the time be fooling around. Use your time wisely."

Ms. Lewis sat down at her desk as people started moving around to sit with their partners. Contrary to her instructions, everyone started talking about anything but the project.

I immediately tensed as Rosalie sat in the empty seat beside me.

"Bella?"

I slowly met her gaze.

A myriad of emotions flickered across her face. "What happened to you?" she demanded.

"Isn't it obvious?" I mocked.

"Who did this?" she asked, her anger starting to show.

"Why do you care?" I shot back.

"Because I do!"

I laughed. "Yeah right. This coming from the girl who couldn't stop giving me death glares every second of the day."

"I thought you were dead," she whispered.

"Well guess what? I _am_," I whispered fiercely.

"You were supposed to stay human. You were supposed to live your life, find a husband, have kids…" her voice trailed off.

"Well that didn't work out now, did it?" I said darkly.

She looked at me long and hard. "You should come over to our house."

"Why?" I snapped.

"They need you."

"They?"

Her eyes were downcast as she spoke in hardly a whisper. "Everything fell apart after we left. Edward couldn't take our thoughts about you, Jasper couldn't handle our feelings, Emmett couldn't crack jokes anymore, Esme feels like she lost a child again, Carlisle buried himself into work, and Alice is hardly even _shopping_." She lifted her head to stare into my eyes, determination written all over her face. "I can't see them suffer like that. Not when I can do something about it."

I regarded her for a long while. Partly because the darkness inside flared at her words and partly because I needed a little time to process what she said. When I finally spoke, my voice was low and filled with sorrow and anger.

"What do you want from me? I can't just go waltzing back into your lives and magically fix everything. You have no idea what I've been through, Rosalie. I am never going back." I would probably kill them all if I did whether it was on purpose or accidental. I am a ticking time bomb as it is; I don't need the extra emotional strain to test my control. They were straining my control already, and I've only seen two of them so far. If I met with all of them – I mentally shuddered – nothing good would come of it. Besides, they left me. It was their choice and I've already made peace with it, at least a part of me did.

"But-" Rosalie's expression was torn between anger and despair.

I cut her off, not wanting to hear any more. "Let's just work on the project."

I turned away from her and started speed reading through the book the class was reading. I could still feel Rosalie's gaze on me but after a few minutes, she picked up her pencil and started working as well. We worked in silence until the bell rang and Rosalie made another attempt to change my mind.

I put away all my things and stood up to find Rosalie waiting for me. I rolled my eyes and walked around her, heading quickly towards the door.

Rosalie gritted her teeth and caught up with me. "Eat lunch with us. _He_ won't be there if that's who you're mad at."

"Save your breath, Rosalie. Alice already tried." I tried to lose her in the hallway, weaving deftly through the crowd of students. Unfortunately, she matched my every step.

"You saw Alice?" she asked surprised.

I huffed. "Yes, I saw her. She invited me over after school, like you did. I declined. End of story."

"Bella-"

The stress from holding back the darkness drained my patience. I stopped and turned to face her. "What will it take for you to leave me alone?" I glared at her.

One of her eyebrows arched. "Sit with us at lunch."

"No." I turned and walked away, or at least I tried to. I'd sunk a lot of steel into that 'no' and she still followed me.

"Sit with us. You don't even have to say anything. You can sit there and glare at us for all I care."

I ignored her and walked faster towards the cafeteria. Stepping through the double doors, I saw that it was already half-filled. Rosalie finally left my side as I went into the line. I hardly paid attention to what I put on my tray knowing that it wouldn't really matter. As I scanned the cafeteria for a place to sit, my eyes landed on the Cullens.

Rosalie was standing, talking to them. I didn't even have to listen in to their conversation to know that they were talking about me. Alice looked devastated and Jasper was still as a statue. Emmett looked up and met my gaze. He beamed when he saw me and started to make his way towards me. I walked towards the other side of the cafeteria, looking at him blankly. I watched as his happy smile faded and his gait slowed to a halt. I looked away and walked over to an empty table in the back of the cafeteria.

I sat down and immediately put my face in my hands. The darkness flared painfully. I didn't expect to see the Cullens today or at all really. Seeing them again, even if I didn't see _him_, made the darkness grow more rapidly than any other day. All of my training didn't prepare me for this. I could only think about them during my training, not see them in real life. I was not equipped to handle this for much longer without releasing the dark energy.

Very carefully, I let it out in very small pulses. Small enough that no one would feel them, but I could. I developed this trick after years of discipline and control and practice. It allowed me to relieve some of the pressure and let me get a sense of the beings around me, animals, humans, vampires.

I felt them approach my table, two of them at least, the Cullens. The darkness was now manageable instead of choking me but it was still more than I would usually handle, thanks to the Cullens' unexpected reappearance. Keeping my control over the darkness, I took a deep breath and faced them. Alice and Rosalie stood before me. I needed to get rid of them; I couldn't let out the darkness _and_ deal with them at the same time, not for long. Alice opened her mouth to speak but I spoke before she could.

"I said no. Leave me alone."

I felt someone else approach. Every muscle in my body tensed when I realized who it was. The darkness grew to new heights as it greedily soaked up my emotions and it took every single defense I had to keep it locked up tight though I knew that if I so much as moved the darkness would burst out of its cage. My face went blank as he came over and slipped his arm around me.

"Excuse me, ladies. Bella, are these two bothering you?"

"Why you-" I started threateningly, barely moving my lips.

He cut me off, turning to Alice and Rosalie with a charming smile. "Wyatt St. Clair. Nice to meet you. I'm Bella's boyfriend."

A/N: It's not what you think! :P So is this a good chapter? Review please!


	4. Chapter 3

_Last chapter: _"Wyatt St. Clair. Nice to meet you. I'm Bella's boyfriend."

**Chapter 3**

_Why that stupid, arrogant, self-centered, egotistical son of a-_

A wicked thought entered my mind and I smiled, turning my head towards his arm slung carelessly over my shoulder. My eyes narrowed slightly as I concentrated. A tiny trickle of dark energy slowly encased his arm, soon covering it completely.

I barely registered Wyatt's conversation with Rosalie and Alice. I hardly even noticed them walk away. I didn't want to lose control as I let myself have this one amusement. It took all of my skill and finesse to pull off.

Soon, he began to feel the effects of my little trick. Or maybe he already felt it and was waiting till Alice and Rosalie were gone.

He jerked his hand, now a sickly shade of blue and gray, away from me, cradling it against his chest. He glared at me. I felt my anger rising in response.

"What are you doing here?" I hissed at him.

He chuckled. "What? No 'Hello. Nice to see you again, Wyatt'? Not very friendly are you?"

"Leave me alone, Wyatt. Get out of town before I make you." I looked at him, the promise of death glittering in the depths of my eyes. "Leave. Permanently." I threatened menacingly.

He laughed again. "You're made that threat a dozen times before and you've never followed through. You're just a little weakling too scared to take a life. Oh wait. You already did." He glared back at me. The fire of revenge burned in his crimson red eyes.

A tiny twinge of guilt plagued my cold, unbeating heart but was quickly swallowed by the darkness. That little push of dark energy nearly pushed me over the edge. I felt so much darkness, too much. I felt like something pushed me aside as words came unbidden out of my mouth.

A mask of calm covered my features, calmness I didn't feel. I stood up, smiling politely. "He got what he deserved. I think he should have suffered more, too. I do so hope I don't see you again," I said in a sickly sweet voice. "I would hate it if the same thing were to happen again." I walked away, my head held high. A smile graced my lips. I felt the curious stares of the humans as I strode confidently away from the room.

I kept myself still, feeling like a bystander in my own mind. There was still half an hour of lunch left. I found myself at the edge of the school grounds, right next to the forest. A hopeful gaze brought my eyes back to the school, focusing on a few students milling around outside. I felt the darkness stirring. The voice in my head spoke enticingly, longing coating the tone.

_The humans are nothing. Can't we just get one? Surely one measly human…_

_NO!_ My protest came out fast and strong. I wrenched myself to the front of my mind.

Blinking rapidly at the sudden dizziness, I quickly ran into the trees to hunt. The ever-tightening coil of darkness inside me was too big and too close to the surface, putting everyone around me in danger. Finding a herd of deer grazing deep in the forest, I used my senses to identify the weakest, oldest deer. Silently apologizing to the aged doe, I sent a steady stream of power towards it. The building pressure inside me eased as the doe slowly dropped to the ground. I bit my lip as a younger doe rubbed its head against the dying doe's head as if saying goodbye.

When the doe's heart slowed, I waited a minute before deliberately stepping on a twig. The rest of the herd bolted at the sound, leaving me and the helpless doe alone in the forest. Before the doe could suffer another second, I snapped its neck.

Blood flooded my mouth like sweet honey. I drained the doe, feeling my control strengthen with every swallow. Tightening the leash on the darkness inside, I stood up. One doe could hardly sustain me with the darkness pressing closer but it would do for now.

After I buried the doe, I climbed a tree up to the very top and leaned against the trunk. Relaxing as I saw the view of the school, I let my thoughts roam.

The Cullens are back. I never expected them to be here. I never expected to see them again at all. I didn't want to stay in Forks in case someone recognized me. I guess I wasn't the only one with that idea. What should I do now?

In the distance, I hear the warning bell ring. I guess I'll have to decide later. Picking myself up, I jumped lithely from branch to branch until I hit the ground running. I stopped right outside my next class for a moment and took a deep breath, forcing my muscles to relax and tamping down my emotions tightly. I walked into the classroom.

Vampire. My instincts screamed at me. I turned to the back of the room and was met with a familiar face. Another Cullen. Just what my day needed, I thought sarcastically. I barely heard the teacher directing me to my seat. I knew where the only seat left was located. I schooled my expression and sat down next to him.

He just sat there. His face revealed no expression but I saw waves of guilt in his eyes and a glimmer of curiosity.

"I'm sor-"

"Don't, Jasper," I said, cutting off his apology. "Nothing was your fault. It never was."

He looked like he was about to protest but he hesitated, studying my face. I think he sensed that I wasn't going to let him apologize.

"I'll make it up to you. I promise," he whispered.

I sighed and shook my head. "There's nothing to make up for." I could sense his stubborn determination. I sighed again – there was just no way to get around stubborn vampires.

The period passed in silence, which I appreciated. I figured Alice would try to rope him into trying to get me to come over after school. Or maybe she did and he's trying to give me space to make up for the incident fifty years ago. Either way, I was glad for the break in the Cullen train. I certainly didn't need any more stress today.

As the bell rang for the end of class, he caught my arm and slipped me a piece of paper. I looked up at him questioningly.

"Our address and directions to the house. Just think about it," he said quietly.

I nodded and he let me go. As soon as he was out of sight, I crumpled the paper in my hand. I opened my hand and stared at the crumpled ball of paper. I tucked the paper into my bag as I went to my last class of the day.

I used to dread going to gym class. My complete and utter lack of coordination was a big part of that. Now, I don't really mind gym anymore. I just need to be careful about displaying any vampire abilities.

This high school in Seattle had a much nicer gym than anything Forks had. It looked like they had it all, a mini-24-hour Fitness in a high school gym. Unfortunately, we had to change for the first day and my mood got worse when I stepped into the gym to see yet another Cullen.

I sighed. The world just loves to kick me when I'm down. Emmett looked at me with a hopeful smile. I lowered my eyes and turned my attention to the coach. The coach decided to let us get a feel for the gym and was willing to let us do whatever we wanted as long as it included exercise. He told us to pair off and pick an activity.

Immediately, the students around me went off with their friends. Only me and Emmett were left standing where we were. He came up to me slowly, an expectant look on his face. I sighed and gave him a half smile.

"What do you want to do?" I asked.

He smiled broadly. "Come on, I know exactly what we can do."

He grabbed me and dragged me over to the boxing ring.

"What are we doing, Emmett?" I grumbled.

"You're going to be my sparring partner."

I froze, digging my heels into the ground. "I am _not_ going to be your punching bag, Emmett."

"You're not." I let out a breath. "I'm going to be yours."

I blinked in surprise. My mouth opened in a silent "oh". My eyebrows furrowed. "Why?"

He grinned. "I wanna see if you can take on a big, bad vamp," he responded, wigging his eyebrows.

That hit a little too close to home. Memories drudged up that should have stayed buried in the dark. I schooled my expression. "Trust me. I can take care of myself," I muttered. A human would have barely heard it but with his enhanced hearing, he heard it clearly.

"Well then show me what you got."

"You have no idea," I whispered softly.

Emmett either didn't hear me or chose to ignore it. He strapped on the proper equipment, handing me boxing gloves and a helmet. I sighed, knowing that not much stops Emmett when he sets his mind on a fighting match.

When I faced him in the ring, I warned him again. "I have a bad feeling about this, Emmett."

He scoffed. "Don't worry. Nothing's gonna happen. I'm the undefeated champion at this school for a reason," he bragged, winking conspiratorially.

_Even if you think you're strong, no one can defend against me._ I pushed the dark thoughts away and watched him cautiously. I punched his outstretched hand half-heartedly. I really did have a bad feeling. Worse than he could ever know and it was best not to aggravate it.

"Come on, Bella, you can do better than that!"

_Yes,_ the voice whispered, _you can do much better than that._

_Shut up!_ I shouted mentally, my body tensing. Shadows stirred in the back of my mind, growing stronger. My focus narrowed, blocking out everything else.

"That's it, Bella! Now even harder!"

_His brother left you. He helped them leave._

"Harder! I can take everything you got!"

_He hurt you. Like the other one. He wants to see your power._

"Come on, Bella. Show me what you're made of!"

_Show him. Kill him, like you did before._

A tendril of darkness wrapped around my hand like a shield. Suddenly Emmett withdrew his hand and left himself vulnerable. My arm was already in motion, a scant foot from his chest.

Pain flashed across his face. The blow knocked him across the ring. He slumped to the ground. My eyes widened. My concentration shattered.

"No," I gasped.

I was leaning over him the less than a second. "Emmett? Emmett, please no. Get up, say something. Please, Emmett."

He groaned. "Man, Bella, you can pack quite a punch." He smiled weakly. "You cheated, right?" He looked at me meaningfully as he sat upright.

My breath left me in a rush of relief. I sat back on my heels. "Yeah, I guess you can say I had a little help." I shook my head. "Emmett, what were you thinking?"

"Well I said I'd be your punching bag, didn't I?" he chuckled.

"Emmett!"

Suddenly, he looked me in the eye. "You're keeping everything bottled up inside. I see it in your eyes. It's not good for you. You got to work it out. If that means you got to throw a punch or two, so be it. I'm here for you, Bella. I'll always be here for you."

"Oh, Emmett." I softened. How could I not? It was truly unexpected after all these years, especially coming from Emmett. "You don't have to take care of me anymore. I'm not who I was fifty years ago."

He laughed, dispelling the seriousness of the conversation. "Yeah, I noticed when you threw me across the room. I underestimated you. Little sis has grown up." He looked at me proudly.

My smile dropped. I looked away. "It's been years, Emmett. I'm not your little sister anymore." I looked him in the eye, stopping his protest. "But you're right about one thing. It's high time for me to settle a few things. Make it right."

He understood immediately. "Will you come back?" he asked with a hopeful expression.

"After I take care of a few things, I'll come back. I'll explain everything." I smiled. "I owe you that much. Thank you, Emmett." I stood up.

I walked out of the gym, not caring that I was ditching. My newfound resolve filled me with strength. I knew I had to do this now while I still had the courage. Emmett was right. I couldn't let fear rule me. I'm tired of running. This has to stop and it's up to me to stop it. No one else is going to get hurt because of me. It's time to end this.

I found myself in the middle of the forest. He was out here, I could feel it. Using a small amount of energy, I sent out a questing probe. There! Twenty yards to my right. Sprinting the small distance, I came upon a clearing.

"Wyatt," I said stiffly, watching the too still figure in front of me.

He smirked. "Well, well, well. What do we have here? A rabbit looking for the fox. Or should I say the lamb searching for the lion?"

My dead heart contracted, but I kept my face composed. The pull of the past was strong. I cursed his stupid power. Fighting the memories, I kept my gaze locked with his.

I lunged toward him suddenly. It was an act of desperation to strike first but I could feel the pain of the past feeding the darkness inside. He waited for me with that small half-smirk on his face.

At the last moment, before my fist could connect with his jaw, he moved so fast he blurred, coming up from behind me and slamming his own fist directly between my shoulder blades.

I turned in the air and landed flat on my back, the air rushing from my lungs. I immediately rolled several times, somersaulting through the soft grass.

I came to my feet a short distance away and rushed him again, my fist slamming into his chest. Before I could strike again or withdraw, he sank his teeth into my shoulder, clamping his mouth down. I screamed as pain burst through me, radiating outward, my flesh burning as the acid venom poured into me.

I clawed at his face, trying to gain enough leverage to get him off me. My knee came up into his crotch, the heel of my shoe raking down his leg to smash into the side of his knee. His bite deepened, tearing at my flesh as he tried to rip off my arm.

I fought through the pain, drawing both hands back and smashing my fists to either side of his jaw, smashing bone. His mouth blew open in a screaming gasp and he lifted his head.

I dropped to the ground, rolling away from him.

"Running already? Coward," he hissed, his jaw already starting to heal.

I faced him stoically. "I'm not running, not anymore."

"One of mine for one of yours," he said suddenly.

I narrowed my eyes, confused by his threat.

He laughed mockingly. "You're already too late to save her," he spat.

It all clicked into place. "You touch so much as one hair on her head…" I hissed, anger clouding my vision. The darkness fed greedily off my anger, climbing to dangerously high levels. My world darkened, bright colors fading from my sight.

A piercing howl cut through the air on the right. At the same time, I heard the faint sounds of someone running through the forest towards us from the left. Running too fast to be human.

Wyatt took a step back, giving a wary glance left and right.

"Another time, Bella," he called. The next instant he vanished.

_No!_ I screamed mentally, forgetting myself and sending a wave of dark energy in a wide semi-circle as I stepped forward. Not feeling a trace of his presence, I cursed. I did, however, feel the wolves and the vampire closing in on my position.

Wyatt's threat echoed through my head. I turned to the right and let out a whistle in two short bursts. The wolves will understand what to do.

Not wasting any more time, I raced off into the forest, heading east in a dead sprint. I glanced back over my shoulder once to see a flash of brown slamming into a flash of bronze. I forced the image out of my head. Concentrating on the path before me, I formed a plan.

"Hold on, mom. I'm coming."

A/N: Sorry for the very long delay in chapters. College life is getting especially busy lately :( and I end up with less time for writing. Anyway, enjoy the chapter! Happy Holidays everyone! Review please!


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